Plan of Action
by natangel
Summary: Another Severus mentors Harry fic. But with some interesting differences. Not Slash. Join Harry as he tries to get his life back after the events in OOTP.
1. Chapter 1 Soldier For The Lonely

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter. Please don't sue. I need the extra money to put gas in my truck.

Author's note: This is my first fan-fic that I am attempting to write chapters for. Let me know if this is okay or bad. I know this Severus helps Harry story has been done before, but I think that my story is a little different. Every chapter will have either a quote that inspired me.

I originally had the words to the song _Soldier for the Lonely _as my inspiration. But, I removed them per the website's request.

If anyone wants the original chapter, let me know through email, and I will send it to you.

Summary: After some soul searching, Harry realizes that he needs some severe training to defeat Voldemort. Join him as he learns how to deal with his life in general. Warnings there will be graphic child abuse scenes. Rated for those and for language.

_Thinking_

**Letters**

Chapter 1. Soldier for the Lonely

In an ordinary house, in an ordinary neighborhood, lived a boy who was anything but ordinary. First, the boy was none other than the famous wizard Harry Potter, a.k.a. the-boy-who-lived. Second, he was a very thin boy whose spectacles made him look owlish, and the fact that he wore ragged hand-me-down clothes that were four sizes too big for him did not help him much. Lastly, the fifteen-year-old boy was cowering in a corner of the smallest room in the house crying during the summer holidays. His Uncle had just punished him for chores that he did not do to an acceptable level. Harry, unlike most children his age hated the summer holidays. He would much rather be at school. Instead, Professor Dumbledore made him go home to his "loving" relatives.

So, needless to say, Harry felt like he was a prisoner. He hated feeling that way. He was prisoner in both of his worlds. In the Muggle world, he was a prisoner to an aunt and uncle that despised him and anything magical, so they kept him locked in a room or his cupboard. They only let Harry out for his punishments or so that he could do his chores.

In the wizarding world, Harry was a prisoner to a prophecy, that a flighty woman made before he was born, and to his fame for said prophecy. Harry could feel the prophecy breathing down his neck, and he felt that is was a prophecy that no one should ever have to deal with, let alone a fifteen-year-old boy.

The prophecy boiled down to kill or be killed. He knew that he could kill. He had done so before, out of self-defense; however, he felt like a dead man walking.And, a lonely one at that. _I do not want to take any of my friends on life's next great adventure. If they knew the prophecy, their lives would be in danger. _ _I cannot tell my friends about this. _Only one other person to Harry's knowledge knew what the entire prophecy said. _Not that I trust Dumbledore anymore._ _I feel like such a pawn in his game. That is all that any of us are anymore to him, just disposable pieces. We are only important if we can keep him from losing the game to Tom._ When Harry had come home a week ago, he swore that he would never call Tom Marvolo Riddle by his self-made name again. Lord Voldemort was nothing but an anagram to Harry.

Pounding on his bedroom door brought Harry out of his silent contemplation. Harry quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and got to his feet as Vernon unlocked his bedroom door. Vernon said, "Boy, it is time for you to make lunch. Don't burn anything or else!"

Harry nodded his head and followed his whale of an uncle downstairs and to the kitchen. After making lunch, he served the family, and went upstairs. He just knew that his family would not allow him to eat if his cousin Dudley was still hungry. The bad news was that Dudley was always hungry. Thirty minutes later, Harry went downstairs to see if his family left him any food. Harry disgustedly looked at the empty plates and started doing the dishes. Harry let his mind wander while he was washing the dishes. Mentally, he started formulating a plan. After Harry had finished washing the dishes and cleaning the dining room, he went to his room.

The raven-haired boy sat in his bedroom depressed. He was tired of thinking, but there was nothing else to do except chores. Luckily, he was already done with this afternoon's chores. Harry Potter was tired of thinking about his sorry excuse for a life. He knew that his life was unfair. Harry Potter, the-boy-who-lived, did not have a "loving" family. Tom Riddle made sure of that. Riddle killed his parents before he was even two years old. Harry himself had inadvertently killed his Godfather the month before. Since then Harry had only felt a handful of emotions: anger, hatred, guilt, despair, and sorrow.

Harry stopped and mentally berated himself. Harry thought about all the people who had lost someone to the war. He thought of the scared little boy who lost both of his parents. The scared little boy watched helplessly as the Deatheaters tortured his parents into insanity. He thought of the werewolf that lost his entire pack in one night. He thought of the family that lost twin boys to the death eaters. He thought of whole families that were lost fighting, sometimes to both sides. He thought of the other countless children forced to grow up without their parents. He thought of everyone who lost a sister, brother, father, mother, son or daughter. He realized that his parents and Sirius did not die so that he could feel sorry for himself. He was angry and disgusted with himself. Then and there, he made a promise to himself and his loved ones. He got out some parchment and started putting his plan on paper.

First Harry wrote something down for inspiration. _I, Harry James Potter, will no longer act without thinking. I will not endanger my friends' lives, by recklessly leading them without having a solid plan. My life matters not to me; however, the lives of my friends and family come before mine. I will fight this war; not because I want to, but because I will not let innocent people die for a insane man's sick pleasures, and misguided beliefs. Nightly, I watch as Riddle tortures those innocents. Some nights are longer than others, but they are always solitary. _

_I am not ashamed to say that my visions make me cry. For, I am witness to the brutal way in which Riddle tortures and kills these poor, innocent people. I am glad that no one else has to see my nightly visions the way that I do. I wish, though, that I had someone to share them with. I wish some one would hold me while I have them, instead of being yelled at for making too much noise in the middle of the night. I am hurt because no one is here to help me deal with my feelings. I am utterly alone. I have let them sweep me under the rug. I did not choose to be their "savior," their Golden-boy, but I will do everything in my power to protect those I love. _

_I may be young but Tom has already made me a conditioned soldier. This war has wounded me physically, emotionally and mentally. I have grown up knowing what loss is. My life has always been pain and heartache. I fight to prevent more children from growing up as I have. There were too many orphans in the first war. No one should have to live without love. No one, no child should have to be as lonely as I have. _

_My parents and Sirius's, deaths have not been in vain. I will not let them down. I will not surrender until I complete my mission in life. Failure is no longer an option. I could not bear to face them in the afterlife a failure. When I meet them, I will not stand before them in shame. I will learn what I need to so that I may kill the bastard that stole my life. Tom Riddle WILL NOT win this war. And, when I die alone no one will know my pain. _

_I love you Mum, Dad, and Padfoot. I am sorry. I will not let you down again. I miss you all. I hope that I will join you soon and end my loneliness, if, you, my family accept and forgive me in the afterlife._

Harry took out another piece of parchment, and at the top of the page, he wrote down, _PLAN OF ACTION_. The first thing he wrote underneath it was _1. Training_. Harry looked at the beginning of his outline. _This one is going to be the hardest to accomplish._ _How to train? I cannot do any magic outside of school since I am too young. Dumbledore says I have to stay here for at least a month. So where do I get help to train. I cannot leave Number 4 Privet Drive without a guard or a small army. _

Harry decided that he needed more books to further his education. _How do I do magic without being caught? And what exactly do I need to defeat Tom? _Harry made a mental list of people that would help him without too much of Dumbledore's interference. He narrowed his list down to Remus and surprisingly, Professor Snape. Well only one of those people he was talking too presently. The second would be a lot of work, something like Hell freezing over to be exact. The next thing Harry decided to do was write some letters. He pulled out fresh parchment and started with Mrs. Weasley. He wrote:

**Dear Mrs. Weasley **

**I hope things are going well for you this summer. I am sorry that I put two of your children's lives in danger last month. Nevertheless, know that if it had been one of them instead of Sirius, I would have done the same for them. I hope that they are feeling better now. I did try to get them to stay behind but they would not let me go alone. I hope that you are not too mad at me. **

**The Muggles are treating me decently. And things are better here this summer. I am fine. You can tell members of the "old crowd" I said hi. I need you to give Remus the spare key to my Gringotts vault. I need him to buy some things for me this summer, as I cannot leave the house. How are things there? **

**Thank you for everything, **

**Harry Potter**

**PS Tell Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, and Mr. Weasley I said hi, and that I am okay. **

To Remus he wrote:

**Remus,**

**May I call you Remus or Moony? I think that calling you Professor Lupin all of the time gets somewhat tedious. You are the only family that I have left. **

**Honestly, how are you? Things are okay with me. I miss Snuffles terribly, though. I hope you are okay, I know that he was the last of your family, and I am sorry to be the cause of his loss. I have made a decision. I will no longer sit idly by and let things happen to those that I love. I will not sit around depressed anymore. Sirius would not want that. I know that this is a war, and that other lives will be lost. Once I kill Riddle, I will mourn Snuffles' death. I will mourn them all. **

**I was wondering if you could do a favor for me. I need you to go shopping for me, please. I know that is a funny request, but I need help. There are things I need from Diagon Alley, and I know that I may not leave my aunt and uncle's house yet. Going into Diagon Alley would require a small force, and I highly doubt Dumbledore would allow me to go anyway. Therefore, I am not even going to ask him. I understand why I am a prisoner, but still I do not like it any more than Snuffles did. I have already owled Mrs. Weasley and told her that you would be stopping by to get the spare key to my vault. **

**I need all of my sixth-year books. I think I got most of my O.W.L.s. I need my Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures books. I would also like more books please. I am stuck here for at least a month, and I need something to do. I would like a more comprehensive study of Potions, starting with an in depth look from the beginning. I need a guide to potions that would spell it out for me if you catch my drift. Is there a book called Potions for Dunderheads? If there is, can you get it?**

**If I did not get an O in Potions, I still plan to take my NEWT for it. As for Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration I will trust anything that you send me. I would also appreciate a book or two on Occlumency and light healing (or magical first-aid books). Knowing what to expect, I think that simple theory on Occlumency will help me. The light healing books will help, because we are in a war and we can keep each other from falling apart on the battlefield. Do not worry about the cost of the books. Spend as much as you need to, please I have more than enough money, and I will go crazy with boredom. **

**I know that I have not taken Arithmancy or Ancient Runes, but I would like the last three years worth of textbooks for both classes. Oh, could you buy any other books that look interesting regarding those two subjects. **

**I need to train. I really do. Since I cannot use magic, then reading about it should help. Don't worry I will not get into trouble for underage use of magic. Here I can practice saying the incantations without my wand. And, I can practice wand movements without saying the incantations. This is how I normally do my homework over the summer. When I get back to school, I will be able to use the magic I learned. The theory will be a great asset. **

**I would like you to bring the books by, since I would not even think of burdening some poor owl. I have some questions regarding my training. I would like to talk to you about them in person though.**

**I can't wait to see you. Oh, can you by some chocolate please? **

**See you soon,**

**Harry**

**PS I sent you a letter to Gringotts stating that you could withdraw money on my behalf. Thanks again.**

Harry finished his letters and called his owl Hedwig to him, "Hedwig, can you take these letters to Remus and Mrs. Weasley, please?" The owl hooted at Harry while he tied the letters to her leg and she flew out of the window.

Harry looked at his owl flying away and started to panic. Sub-consciously he kept a glamour on himself to hide the scars. However, hiding the bruises took too much out of his magical reserve. Since his family was giving him little to no food, he needed his magical reserve in case of an emergency. Even if he did not need the extra help from his magic. He would not let his uncle know that he could hide bruises, because Vernon would attack the more visible parts of his body more often.

Harry was not worried about this morning's punishment because his uncle only hit him across his back with a belt. He nearly forgot about the sound beating that he got two days ago. The kind of beatings that Uncle Vernon gave only if he had been drinking, or if Harry performed accidental magic. He ran to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. He prayed that the bruises would be gone by the time Remus stopped by. Normally Harry could care less about his punishments.

Unfortunately, since The Order of the Phoenix threatened his Uncle Vernon a week ago, Dursley had been in a foul mood. Upon coming home from King's Cross, Uncle Vernon stated that, "No freaks are going to tell me what to do in my own home." Harry had already been beaten two or three times. He looked in the mirror for the first time in a week. What he saw was not too bad. He could say that he and his cousin had gotten a little rowdy and Dudley had given him a black eye while "muggle dueling."

If not for the wards and protection that his mother's blood provided him, Harry would never set foot in the house again. Nobody would ever know that his "loving" relatives abused the-boy-who-bloody-lived. The wizarding world would never give him any peace if they found out.

The truth was that since Sirius died, Harry felt deserving of the starving, the beatings, the slave labor, and the emotional abuse. Their treatment of him was the punishment for all of the blood on his hands. He knew he was responsible for many deaths already and he was only fifteen. He knew that he was responsible for his parents deaths first, second Professor Quirrell, third was Cedric Diggory, and the last and most personal his godfather, Sirius Black. _If I wasn't the savior of the wizarding world, I would provoke Uncle Vernon to the point of killing me. But no, since I am the boy-who-bloody-lived, I have to pretend everything is normal. And I have to kill the-sodding-bastard-that-refuses-to-die. To be honest with myself, who would believe that my relatives treat me this way? _Harry let out a sigh.

With the Daily Prophet's stories in his fourth year, people, including a certain Potions Master, would think that he was merely asking for more attention. The last thing Harry Potter needed was more attention.

Harry stood at the top of the stairs, his Slytherin self-preservation warring with his Gryffindor courage. Harry gave one last sigh pushed his Slytherin side away, gathered his Gryffindor courage, and bravely went down stairs to inform his aunt and uncle that sometime in the next day or two a visitor would be stopping by to see him and check up on him.

Harry looked around for his family. He found them in the kitchen eating a snack. "Boy, what are you doing out of your room," yelled his whale of an uncle.

"Uncle Vernon, I just got word that a friend of mine is going to stop by sometime in the next couple of days. He is dropping something off and then he will be leaving. I don't think that he will be here for long," replied Harry nervously.

Harry watched his uncle's face change colors. His face changed from normal then drained to a ghostly white, to red and finally settled on a fine shade of purple.

"Boy, you didn't tell him anything did you? Because, if you did I'll make sure all he finds is a corpse." Earlier in the week, Vernon had accused Harry of telling the wizards about his treatment at home. Vernon did not understand why people would care enough about the boy to create a scene in public. He did not realize his nephew's importance in the eyes of all wizards. The Order was quite lucky that Vernon Dursley was so dense. The amount of money that his family could have asked of the Order to protect Harry would ensure that one Vernon Dursley would never have to work again.

Harry stammered, "N-no Uncle Vernon, sir you proof-read the letters I have sent my friends. I will send another tomorrow; however, with Remus stopping by I doubt I will need to write one. I was planning to tell Remus that I was helping Dudley with his boxing practice. I was going to tell him that since I do not know the sport, I am simply not good enough or fast enough to keep up with him… He does not know many of _your _sports so it would confuse him. That should answer any questions that he might have."

Uncle Vernon nodded and merely said, "Well I guess that would work. There may be hope for you yet, boy. Get back to your room until it is time for you to cook dinner. I do not want to see you after that. When the freak leaves then we will discuss any punishments that I feel that you deserve."

"Yes Uncle Vernon," replied Harry as he climbed the stairs and went to his room.

Once upstairs, he pulled his outline from his hiding place and added 2. Apologies. Under that, he wrote Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Snape. He also added 3. Life after the war(?). Under that, he wrote down O.W.L results. Then he wrote Options for jobs. There he listed Auror / Unspeakable, Teacher, Healer, professional Quidditch player, and politician. He also wrote down a few things that he thought that he needed to go incognito. He also wrote financial status. Do I own any property, or houses?

Harry put away the paper, and realized that living after the war could be dangerous. _Once I kill the sodding bastard, will they let me live my life in peace? I think that is highly unlikely. I must find someone I can trust to help me. Damn, Dumbledore, everyone I know will go running to him, and I will never have any peace. Speaking of Dumbledore I think that I will leave the house anyway, just to defy him. First thing in the morning, I am going to Gringotts then to Flourish and Blotts. I hope that I don't run into Remus. _

Harry decided that he needed a disguise. He also understood that he needed to be careful, because the Order could have a person guarding him. The only person that he did not think that he could fool was Mad-eye Moody. Every other person he could outmaneuver. Why would the Order suspect that he would leave the house, when he had already asked Remus to go into Diagon Alley already?

Harry realized that it was getting late and if he wanted to get away from the members of the Order, he would need to leave early in the morning. With those thoughts he put his things into the space that loose floorboard underneath his tiny bed hid. That space held all of his important items. He pulled out his invisibility cloak, as he needed it in the morning. He also took out his wand and his photo album. Harry spent some time looking at the pictures of his parents and Sirius. Before he put the album away, he took his resolution out and placed it inside his album. He carefully returned his album back to the space underneath his bed. He changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed.

Harry tried to clear his mind of all emotions before falling asleep. Nevertheless, he was finding the task exceedingly difficult as always. Tonight he felt none of the despair, and guilt that he had been feeling since Sirius' death. Tonight, was different, he now had a purpose, and the beginnings of a plan. He knew the prophecy; now, he knew that he would fulfill it. The new fire that consumed him burned hot. So, clearing his mind of vengeful emotions was just as difficult as those of guilt were. After an hour, Harry finally cleared his mind well enough to fall asleep.

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Any suggestions? I also made a few corrections to the story. I am sorry that it has taken me awhile to update... Chapter 3 is proving diffiicult. I have chapters 4 and 5 ready though. How is the length of each chapter? I have been unhappy with some of the minor errors, so i redid them... I am sorry it has taken me so long to update. I need to go over chapter three again. I will have it up by this sunday.


	2. Sirius' Fulfillment

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to do with Harry Potter. Please don't sue. I need the extra money to put gas in my truck.

Author's note: This is my first fan-fic that I am attempting to write chapters for. Let me know if this is okay or bad. I know this Severus helps Harry story has been done before, but I think that my story is a little different. Every chapter should have either a song or quote that inspired me.

Summary: After some soul searching, Harry realizes that he needs some severe training to defeat Voldemort. Join him as he learns how to deal with his life in general. Warnings there will be graphic child abuse scenes. Rated for those and for language.

_Do not seek death. Death will find you.  
But seek the road which makes death a fulfillment._

-Dag Hammarskjöld

Chapter 2. Sirius' Fulfillment

Harry woke early the next morning. He was awake before the sun had risen. _I need to get out of this house as quickly and as quietly as possible. _Harry stopped when he heard Hedwig come into his window. She landed on her master's shoulder and stuck her leg out to him so that he could remove the letters. Harry opened Remus' letter quickly, but put Mrs. Weasley's aside. Her letter would wait until later. He read the letter:

**Harry,**

**Remus is fine. So is Moony. The choice is yours. Thank you for your letter. I also consider you as family. I hope you are well. I, too, am missing Snuffles. You should not blame yourself. The fault is Voldemort's. He would not want you to be sad. He died the way that he wanted to, fighting for the one that meant most to him. **

**I am glad that you have a way of studying without using magic. The method seems like a good one. I will get you the books you requested. I have a few suggestions myself. I will see you the day after you receive this, giving you time to prepare your relatives. I am sure that they will be absolutely delighted with my company. Mrs. Weasley is sending me with food as well. **

**I will see you soon,**

**Remus**

Harry grinned at the letter. He was getting food. He made a mental note to send Mrs. Weasley a note of thanks. Now he could eat again. He had not had much to eat in the week since he had been home.

Harry told Hedwig, "Stay out of the way, today. I am going to Diagon Alley, and I don't want them to hurt you. OK?" Harry laughed when Hedwig gave him a look that said you are going to get into trouble. Harry just said, "I know and I will be careful. I will see you later, girl."

Harry made sure that he had his money, both muggle and wizard, as well as his invisibility cloak before he left his room. At the top of the stairs, he put on his cloak. When he was sure that no one could see him, he left the house. When he stepped outside, he walked to the end of the drive. There he could see smoke coming out of nowhere. _Dung is watching me this morning. I feel bad for the man. He will be in trouble when they find out I am not home. I hope that his watch is just starting. _

He made a right turn and walked four blocks before taking off his cloak. He then walked to a store that was open 24 hours a day. Inside he bought sunglasses, a t-shirt that fit, a cheap backpack, and an American muggle baseball cap. As he left the store, he went into a restroom to make his transformation. There he put on his new shirt. He also put his hat on so low that the brim almost touched his eyebrows. Even without his sunglasses, he could barely recognize himself. He put everything he had with him in the backpack, put his sunglasses on and left the store.

Harry walked to the alley behind the store and pulled out his wand. The next minute, the Knight bus came to a screeching halt in front of him. As he got in, he let Stun Shunpike give his speech not really paying him any attention. He looked at him and coldly said, "The Leaky Cauldron." Harry gave him the required amount of money and did his best to ignore the nosy conductor.

The ride was just as terrible as it always was. When he got to the Leaky Cauldron, he stumbled off the purple, triple decked, bus with a promise. _Today is the last day that I ride that bloody bus._

He walked into the pub and went straight through without anyone stopping to talk to him. At the wall, he tapped out the right sequence and passed through the barrier to Diagon Alley. The first thing that Harry noticed was the increased security. He could see Aurors patrolling the streets. The closer he got to Gringotts the more protection he could see. He also noticed the manner of the people. The patrons that were out were moving at a brisk pace instead of the usual way the customers would shop. Normally, people would stop in front of the stores to window shop. Or, wizards would just stop and talk to those that they knew. Harry was saddened to see the difference in Diagon Alley.

When he got to the famous wizarding bank, he noticed there were very few people there. Harry thought that it was still too early for people to do their banking. Harry did not have to wait long to get a teller. The goblin said, "May I help you?"

Harry said, "I would like to visit my vault please. When I give, you my key do not acknowledge who I am. I am trying to be as inconspicuous as possible."

Harry then gave the goblin the key. The goblin merely nodded and said, "Right this way then sir. We have some business matters that we need to discuss. Follow me, sir. My boss will explain all when we get to his office."

Harry was pleased that the goblin did not acknowledge him by name. Confused, Harry mechanically followed the teller. After walking through the maze that seemed to be Gringotts, the two came to a stop in front of an ornate door. The goblin led Harry into a huge office and said, "Wait here and the goblin-in-charge will be here shortly to discuss business matters with you."

Harry said, "Thank you for showing me in sir."

The goblin gave him a strange look at Harry's "Sir", but went on his way. Harry looked around the pristine office wondering what the goblins wanted with him. He did not have to wait long before a distinguished looking goblin entered through a door that Harry had not yet noticed. The goblin looked at him and said, "Mr. Potter, my name is Ragdrop and I am in charge of this branch of Gringotts. I do not normally handle wills and inheritance transfers; however, with one such as yours I am obliged to help."

"Wills and inheritance transfers?" asked Harry.

"Yes, one Sirius Black recently passed away. Is that not correct? We have a couple of issues that we need to discuss though." The goblin pulled out a pensieve and said, "Rumor has it that you were present at Lord Black's death?"

_Lord Black? _Wondering what was going on Harry just nodded his head. The goblin said, "Since there is no body, we need proof that Lord Black is indeed gone. Do you know how to use a pensieve?"

At Harry's negative response the goblin said, "Just think of the memory and put your wand to your temple. Say _memor _and then pull the wand away. Place it in the bowl if you will. I am going to watch the memory. Do you wish join me or would you like to wait out here?"

Harry adamantly stated, "I will stay out here. I was there, and I see it in all of my nightmares. Thank you for asking though."

Harry did not have to wait long for the goblin to return from inside the pensieve. The goblin looked shaken and said, "I think that Lord Black is indeed gone. I am sorry that you lost your godfather. He was a brave man." The goblin retook his seat, and continued, "Since he was not a convicted felon his will is legal. The Wizengamot did not hold a trial for Sirius Black. He consulted with us after escaping Azkaban, and we let him know his options. He, being who he was, was quite welcome here. We, and I mean goblins, do not believing in imprisoning someone without a fair trial. Once his name is cleared, we have documents stating that he wants restitution for his false imprisonment and for the slander to his good name. He also wants the Ministry to pay for keeping the two of you apart through the years."

While pulling out different papers he changed the subject completely by saying, "Since you were raised by Muggles, I am sure that you do not know the significance of the veil. Centuries ago, when the Wizengamot found a wizard guilty of any capital charges, the accused person would walk through the veil. Then about four hundred years ago, an evil wizard created the dementors. He was the only wizard that was able to control them. Before he died, he convinced them that they would get all they needed serving wizards by guarding Azkaban. That satisfied the dementors and wizards moved the veil to the Department of Mysteries. When Lord Voldemort came into power, he convinced the dementors to leave Azkaban, and help him terrorize helpless people. When that happened, the wizards used the veil once again, until you defeated Voldemort. The Ministry and Albus Dumbledore convinced the dementors to go back to Azkaban. Has anyone explained that to you?"

Harry replied, "No they have not. Many forget how little I actually know about wizard customs and history. So now that you have ascertained my godfather's death, what next?"

"Well ," the goblin said, "at the beginning of May, Lord Black sent in a revised will to the bank. In his will, he named you the sole heir of Black. He left you with all of his possessions, and four of the five family vaults. The last one he split between friends and his cousin. One of the vaults contains no money; however, it contains all of the Black books, family possessions, weapons, deeds and titles to numerous family holdings and property. You now own several small businesses in both the muggle and wizarding world."

Harry looked at the goblin dumbstruck, and he quietly stammered, "I-I don't want it, any of it."

The goblin gave Harry the same strange look that he was beginning to recognize as surprise.

The goblin said, "He also left a letter for you. Read it before you make any decisions. If I may give you some advice, keep the money for now. Since you are the sole heir of the Potter and Black lines, you will have to produce heirs, preferably one or two for each name. Keep the money for your future children if not for yourself. Take your time with the letter. We have much paper work to go through and I need to gather it all." With that, he handed Harry the letter Sirius left him and went to work while Harry read Sirius' last letter.

**Dear Harry,**

**First, I would like to apologize to you. Unfortunately, if you are reading this, then I am dead. I know you well enough to know that you are feeling guilty about my death. Harry, DON'T. We all know that in this war, just like the last, there will be many casualties. Hopefully, I went out fighting to protect the only thing that I love, and that is you. I want you to know that I have always thought of you as the son I never had. So, Pup I want you to know that I am proud of the man you have grown to be. Even though you look just like James, you really are more of Lily's child. They both would have been so proud of the man that you are. You are the kindest person that I have ever met, and you accept people, with all of their flaws, unconditionally. **

**But, Pup since I am gone, I made you my heir. If I know you, your first response when you heard of your inheritance was to deny the money. Keep the money, find a nice young lady, marry her, and have a bunch of kids. Name one after me and make him my heir. I just wish that I could see Snape's face when my protégé is sorted though. Seriously, (no pun intended) though I know that your parents left you quite a bit also. Since I have been back, I have been monitoring your parents' vaults. I love goblins because they do not ask questions and everything is confidential. I have made sure that their stock, bonds, and businesses are still profiting. I am sure this is all overwhelming. Hire some one to help manage your finances. You are an extremely wealthy young man. I left money to Remus, Tonks, Hermione, Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, and the Weasleys. I would have left my books to Hermione, but with the prophecy, I think that you need them more. **

**Yes, I know what it says. Dumbledore told me after I came back. I am sorry you have to face that alone. Well you are not alone; I will explain more in another letter. Now Bambi, I want you to know that I have faith in you. I whole-heartedly believe that you be the victor in the final battle. The prophecy caused much of the tension between Dumbledore and me the last couple of years. I did not like the way he was manipulating the Order. They believed that they were guarding some secret weapon in the Department of Mysteries. **

**We both know that you are a person not a weapon. I felt that you should know what you have to do. I also felt that you were man enough to deal with the burden. You are not a child, and I doubt that you have ever been one. You act so differently than your mates do. They act as children do. You do not. I think that I am the only one that sees it though. Remus just wants to protect his cub. Yes, sees you as his cub and he wants to keep you that way as long as possible. **

**I am getting off track though, I firmly believed in getting extra training for you. Between Remus, Moody, McGonagall, Snape (even though I cannot stand the man), and myself, we should have been able to train you properly. Dumbledore felt that you were too young to train. However, I know you better than he does. I know that you will take every loss personally during this war. I know you will feel guilty for not being able to stop Voldemort for injuring even one innocent person. You should not blame yourself; the fault lies with Voldemort alone. **

**Enough of the depressing stuff, now on to the arse kicking stuff. Have one of the goblins take you to the first vault. Inside you will find one wizard's trunk. It is brilliant, if you ask me (oh yeah I designed it.) I took the liberty of putting your initials on the trunk. I hope you don't mind. The brilliantly crafted trunk has the initials of H.J.P.B. Of course, they stand for Harry James Potter-Black. I would be honored if you accepted my last name since you are my heir. Had I been a free man, I would have adopted you long ago and made it official. I hope you like the trunk.**

**Anyway, the trunk has many important items inside, most are completely legal (wink, wink.) I had hoped to give these to you in person so that I could explain the use of each and every item. However, I am not sure if that will happen. I have been updating my will every two months since I have returned to the wonderful world of freedom. I have this strange feeling that I will not write another one to you. Each time I updated, I wrote a new letter to you. All previous letters are in the trunk. So that you know how I felt about you at any given time. Really, there is not much to do when Dumbledore confines you to one house. **

**I have arranged for a friend of mine to visit you a week before your sixteenth birthday. He will also help you train. He is a young man that is close in age to you. Give him one of the "twins" in the trunk. He will explain more later. The person I bought them from insisted that I buy them. I think that he knew something that I did not. The young man I mentioned will tell you more. He will also help you train. I believe that he will apply for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Trust me he will do well. He is that good. He will be crucial in your fight. **

**You may visit any place I own except to my family home in Spain. I have my reasons and you will know them in time. Give out a couple of the "others" to only people you explicitly trust. Even though, Ron and Hermione are your best friends, I do not trust them completely. Ron is judgmental and temperamental. He is also extremely jealous of you. Be careful around him, my son. Hermione may be the brightest witch of her age, but her one weakness is that she, like Percy, believes in blindly following the rules. She will run to Dumbledore if she thinks that she is helping him in any way. I believe that you should be careful about what you say to your friends about your plans. **

**I know that you made a plan and an outline. Make your apologies. Some of the questions you had a couple of days before you wrote Remus will be answered by what is in the trunk. Inside the trunk are several rooms. One is a training room and the other is a library/ study. On one of the desks is a pile of my old Auror books. I have gone through them and marked the things I want you to look at. There is a list of the important things in the trunk. There is a list of the things that I want you to study.**

**I wish you well, my son. And, I wish you luck.**

**With much love, **

**Sirius "Snuffles" Black**

**P.S. I want you to take Remus shopping. Tell him that I said to stop dressing like a beggar. Buy him leather pants and tell him that Tonks will appreciate them (wink). Don't tell him about the prophecy, yet. He would take it bad. He sees you as his cub. Werewolves are exceedingly protective of their cubs. **

Harry folded the letter and wiped the tears from his eyes. When he finally looked up at the goblin, his face was a mask of composure. He told the head of the bank, "Thank you for the advice. I may need more, since I have no idea what I am doing." Harry took a ragged breath and kept going. "What papers do I need to sign? How do I get into the vaults? How can I get reports of how much each vault has, and with my family vaults, how much do I actually have?"

The goblin gave a chuckle at the boy's exasperation. Then he said, "These are all good questions, young man. First, sign these papers. Then you have a couple of decisions to make regarding some of your vaults."

Harry sighed and started signing the huge mountain of paperwork that sat in front of him. The goblin looked at him and asked, "Potter-Black?"

Harry replied, "Since, I am the sole heir of both the Potter and Black lines, I thought it would be appropriate. And my godfather wished it."

Ragdrop merely said, "Very well, I believe that your godfather left the paperwork for that, which I believe that you already signed. Do you have any wishes with regards to your new accounts?"

Harry looked up from the mound of paperwork that he was signing, and said, "Do you have a book like an estate planner or something so that I can keep track of my finances all at once? I am going to be honest with you, sir. I need your help. I am totally lost here. I have no idea what I am doing. The only thing I know is that I want to keep the Black finances separate from the Potter finances. I want a distinct separation; so that when I have heirs, there is no confusion as to who gets what. Any other important decisions, I will let you make. You, sir, work with money on a daily basis and by the position you hold, I can tell that you know what you are doing. I also need someone to help me manage my finances, an accountant maybe. I would approve any recommendations that you would make. To be honest with you sir, I would prefer to hire a goblin rather than a wizard."

Surprised, Ragdrop stared at Harry for a couple of seconds while he digested what the boy wizard had said. He then asked a couple of questions to be sure that he had heard right. He asked Harry, "You want me to recommend a goblin accountant? In addition, you trust me to make decisions for you. Why?"

Harry gave him an incredulous look and said, "Why wouldn't I? As I said, goblins know money best. You live and breathe it. I trust goblins more than I trust wizards. No goblin has tried to kill me yet. And not only do I trust you, but my godfather did as well."

The goblin shook his head to clear his thoughts. After a moment, he asked the young man, "Have you finished with this pile of paperwork?" At Harry's nod, Ragdrop continued, "I will get someone to escort you to the vault that Lord Black wished for you to visit. While you are gone, I will check over the paperwork to make sure everything is in order. When you return, we have more business to attend to."

Harry nodded. When his escort made his appearance, Harry again astounded the goblins by asking, "Griphook how have you been?"

Both goblins stopped and gave the wizard strange looks. Griphook said, "Mr. Potter, I am fine. How do you know my name, if I may ask?"

Harry smiled and said, "You escorted Hagrid and me, five years ago to my vault. Until today, you are the only goblin that I have ever met. Why do you ask?"

Griphook replied, "Wizards rarely remember our names. They consider themselves above noticing us. I am surprised that you remembered my name from five years ago."

Grimacing, Harry replied, "I am not like most wizards. I, too, find them conceited. I wish to change much of the prejudice that runs rampant among wizards. The same prejudices that allowed Tom Riddle to wield the power that has terrified these people for the last twenty-five years or so."

Griphook did not know what to say to that response, so he just said, "Follow me to the landing. Once there we will take a cart ride to your vault. I warn you. It will be a long ride"

Harry just nodded and mutely followed the goblin through the maze of Gringotts. The ride was undoubtedly long and winding. _Mad-eye Moody must be in charge of security_. He even voiced his opinion. "Does Mad-eye Moody work for your security detail?"

The goblin turned to look back at the young man that was full of surprises, and said, "Yes, he does. Not many people know that he is a security consultant. He checks on our security measures once a month. Why do you ask?"

Harry just laughed and said, "Well, I feel like we are going in circles at times. And, I think that we have passed that dragon at least once, already. The only person paranoid enough to doubt security dragons is Moody."

The goblin just grinned at Harry and said, "We are almost there."

After five more minutes and passing yet another dragon, the cart finally came to a screeching halt. The two exited, and Griphook turned to Harry and said, "These are the family vaults. Place your right hand in the circle. State your full name and your title. If the vault accepts you, the door will open. If it does not, well we will worry about that if it happens. No one may enter unless you are with them or if they are keyed in."

Harry walked to the door. He placed his hand in the circle and stated in his most confident voice, "My name is Harry James Potter-Black. I am the last remaining heir of both the Potter and Black lines."

As he finished speaking, his whole body started glowing silver. He looked at his hand in shock. Just as he was starting to worry, the lock to the vault clicked. The door slowly started to open and Harry walked into one of the family vaults of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. As he walked in, he noticed weapons of all kinds lined the walls as far as he could see. He also noticed many suits of armor.

But the thing that took most of his attention was a beautifully crafted trunk sitting in the middle of the room. The trunk was made of the blackest wood that Harry had ever seen. Instead of absorbing light, the trunk seemed to glow as if there was a spotlight centered on it. The trunk's beauty drew Harry to it. The trunk's adornments were all gold. On the front of the trunk, someone had carved the most beautiful writing that Harry had ever seen. Someone had lovingly carved his initials into the trunk. Underneath his initials, was a circle just like outside the vault.

Harry wiped tears from his eyes as he stared at the beautifully crafted piece of work in front of him. Sirius had given him a piece of himself when he told Harry that he helped design the trunk. He reached out to the trunk, as if he was afraid to touch it. As his fingers encountered the trunk, it opened.

Inside was a piece of paper that only said _Say the Marauders motto._ Confused, Harry took out his wand and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The paper changed to instructions for setting the locking devices and, for getting to another compartment. There was a note on the bottom of the page that said:

**Pup, I took the liberty of reading the instruction manual for you here are a few important things that you will need to know. Also, the things that you need are in compartment three. The other letter in there is charmed as well. Do you like your trunk? Use it well.**

Harry folded that up and put it in the first compartment. He closed the trunk put his hand in the circle and said, "Compartment three." Harry opened the trunk again and looked inside. He was amazed with what he saw.

The first thing he did was took a ride down the slide into the biggest library he had ever seen. _Wow, I think this library may rival Hogwarts' library. Hermione would just die in here. _Harryrealized that the books that had been cleaned out of the library at headquarters were here. Meaning Sirius gave him many Dark Arts books. Sirius had placed the bookcases all along the walls. In the middle of the room was a long table that had a piece of paper. Sirius had placed the paper on top of several worn books. Harry tore himself away from the books, walked to the paper, and picked it up. It was extremely straightforward. It said:

**List of things of use to you.**

**1. Letters that I have written, but did not send, since escaping Azkaban.**

**2. Letters from your parents to you.**

**3. Wands (you don't think that the Ministry would just give me my wand back because I escaped from Azkaban, do you?)**

**4. Wand holsters**

**5. Battle robes**

**6. Pensieve**

**7. Another two-way mirror**

**8. My family ring. Wear it please. It acts as a portkey to the "old crowd's" headquarters. Just say _Toujours Pur._**

**9. The Potter family ring. It also acts as a portkey. This one will take you to the Potter family mansion. To activate it say _Sempre Virtus._**

**10. Necklace with both of your parents wedding rings**

**11. Watch. It can act as a dark arts detector. I had given it to your father for a graduation gift. Remus has an identical one. It too acts as a portkey. It has several locations programmed. I set three up for you. One is your home in Surrey activation word: beaky. Two is to compartment six activation word is Billiards. The third is to Moony himself. It is keyed to his magical signature. The activation word is fire whiskey. **

**12. Time turner**

**13. Snake amulet. This amulet masks your magical signature. The other wand that I have for you will work without the Ministry detecting you, but I want you to learn to use both in a fight.**

**14. Magical sword. These are cool. They act as a wand as well as a sword. Learn to use it. **

**Oh yeah, all of these things are in the top drawer of the desk in the corner.**

Harry knew that he had Ragdrop waiting for him. So, he put the paper back in the trunk and took out a wand that felt right to him. He noticed that it was one of an exact pair. He wondered if they were identical wands. He also took out his amulet, watch, and his family rings. He put those on. The family rings and the watch automatically resized themselves to fit him perfectly. Once the rings were on, they became invisible. Luckily, his watch remained visible. He also took out a wand holster and attached it to his left arm. Once fastened it too became invisible.

He climbed out of his trunk. He found Griphook waiting for him. He said, "I am almost done. Then we can see what other business I have here at the bank."

He took out his new wand and cast a shrinking charm on his new trunk. He took his trunk and put it into his pocket. He turned to Griphook and followed him out of the vault. The ride back didn't seem to take as long to Harry. But his mind was reeling with all of the new things that he had. Harry knew that he did not have to go shopping anymore. He had more than enough books. And, with his new wand, he now had a way to train. He even had subjects that Sirius wanted him to learn.

He was barely paying attention to Griphook, when all of a sudden he stopped. The only thing that kept Harry from plowing into the small goblin was Harry's quick reflexes. Harry mumbled an apology to Griphook as he followed him back into the main goblin's office.

Once inside he took his seat in front of Ragdrop. He started by asking, "Is all of the paperwork in order?"

Ragdrop said, "Yes, it is. However, we have a few things to discuss. One of the papers that your godfather had you sign was for your emancipation. You no longer have need for an adult guardian. Your godfather left specific instructions. He stated that you would have to stay at your relatives for one month during the summer holidays. He was very adamant about that. The good news is that you only have three weeks to live there. Do you have any questions regarding this?"

Harry looked at the goblin and said, "So this means that I won't have to worry about anyone trying to be my guardian and making me do things that I don't want to."

The goblin replied, "No, he was specific. He did not want anyone manipulating you. You will have to attend his will reading. Some of the paperwork will not come in to effect until then.

There, he states his specific wishes regarding you. Now that you are of age, you now have access to all of the Potter family vaults. We will need to go over the paperwork for that. You also have other people who have left you money and vaults. Your mother left you the McKenna family vaults. She came from a long line of squibs. She was the last magical McKenna. So now, you are in charge of that family estate."

Harry looked at the goblin and questioned, "Are you serious? I don't want any more money. What else is there? You seem hesitant to tell me something."

Ragdrop looked nervous. He knew that wizards Harry's age had trouble controlling their emotions. He started by saying, "Sir, I do not know how to tell you this, but you are now in charge of the Pettigrew estate."

"What!" yelled Harry.

The goblin said, "Several years ago, Mrs. Pettigrew died and left you all of her money. Apparently, wizards everywhere felt terrible about her son's death. So, they sent her money and some families even left her money in their wills. In Mrs. Pettigrew's will she stated that everything would be left to you. Anyone that left her money would automatically be given to you."

Harry felt as if he couldn't breathe. He said, "I am glad you waited to tell me. I don't think that I could have made it through today if you had told me that earlier. I still would like to know exactly how much I have. I am going to do something worthwhile with the Pettigrew's money. I just do not know what yet. You know that he is alive. Is there anyway that we can change vaults so that he cannot access the funds?"

Ragdrop looked relieved that Harry had taken the news well. However, he was a bit frightened of the fire that he could see burning in the young wizard's eyes. He handed the paperwork over to Harry and said, "Yes we can do that. Here are the things that you need to sign."

While handling his paperwork, Harry brought to Ragdrop's attention some things that he questioned. He started with, "I was wondering if you could recommend a book on basic wizard customs. Since I am the head of several families, I need to act the part. Do you have the name of a couple of books written by goblins regarding your history. I am afraid that I did not pay enough attention in class. I believe that wizard history is biased. I want to know more about goblins, not just their rebellions. I am afraid that I do not know much about your race, and I would hate to offend my accountant at our first meeting."

Ragdrop seemed pleased by this request, and happily replied, "Of course. I will give you the name of several books. Is there anything else that I can help you with?"

Harry thought a few seconds and said, "I need an easier way of getting money. I cannot leave anytime I like. In fact, I had sent someone over to do some business on my behalf today. I am not sure that he has stopped by the bank today. Let him access my trust fund. But, do not let him know that I have been here."

"Of course, all of our transactions are confidential. Here is a magical wallet. It responds to your magical signature. All you have to do is tell it how much you need and the right amount makes itself available to you. All transactions are magically transcribed to your ledger. Here is that estate book you requested. All of your estates are listed. Each family owns different businesses. Flip to the name of the family that you wish to see and everything is listed. You are the wealthiest wizard in the world. If you need anything, just let me know. In one week, an accountant will send you a letter. He will set up a meeting with you."

Harry replied, "Thank you for your help today. If you do not need me anymore I will leave."

Ragdrop looked at the young wizard, and said, "If I need to contact you, I will send an owl. I will get you an escort to take you to the main lobby of the bank."

Harry questioned, "I have a portkey. I do not want to go through the main lobby. I am afraid that I am going to run into my friend. I am not supposed to leave my house. I do not wish to get into trouble. May I portkey out of this office?"

The goblin replied, "Normally, we do not allow it; however, since you are our biggest customer, I will allow it. I will see you soon Lord Potter-Black."

Harry replied, "Thank you for your time and patience today. I will see you soon Mr. Ragdrop."

With a little bow, Harry said, "Beaky," and promptly disappeared.


End file.
